Scammon Bay, Alaska

Scammon Bay (Central Yupik: Marayaarmiut) is a city in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 474, up from 465 in 2000.

Scammon Bay Marayaarmiut
City
Scammon Bay Location in Alaska
Coordinates: 61°50′33″N 165°34′54″W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census Area	Kusilvak
Incorporated	May 22, 1967[1]
Government
• Mayor	Larson Hunter
• State senator	Donny Olson (D)
• State rep.	Neal Foster (D)
Area [2]
• Total	0.47 sq mi (1.21 km^2)
• Land	0.47 sq mi (1.21 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2010)[3]
• Total	474
• Estimate  (2019)[4]	534
• Density	1,141.03/sq mi (440.39/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code	99662
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-67680
GNIS feature ID	1409133

Etymology

It is named after Charles Melville Scammon Chief of Marine of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition by William Healey Dall in 1870.[5] A local dish was also named after Scammon, which is a mixture of scrambled eggs and salmon, taking advantage of the abundance of the fish in the local waters. Popular folk etymology says that scammon is a portmanteau of "scrambled salmon", however that is incorrect as the name of the dish happened after the town was named.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1940	88		—
1950	103		17.0%
1960	115		11.7%
1970	166		44.3%
1980	250		50.6%
1990	343		37.2%
2000	465		35.6%
2010	474		1.9%
2019 (est.)	534	[4]	12.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

Scammon Bay first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It formally incorporated in 1967.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 465 people, 96 households, and 84 families residing in the city. The population density was 737.8 people per square mile (285.0/km²). There were 114 housing units at an average density of 180.9 per square mile (69.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 1.94% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 96.13% Native American, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 0.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 96 households, out of which 66.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.5% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.84 and the average family size was 5.25.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 49.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 18 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,625, and the median income for a family was $25,938. Males had a median income of $36,875 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,719. About 30.2% of families and 37.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

K-12 students attend Scammon Bay School, operated by the Lower Yukon School District.

References

1. 1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau: Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. p. 135.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
3. "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Alaska". United States Census Bureau. 2008-07-10. Archived from the original on 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
5. Orth, Donald (1967). Dictionary of Alaska Place Names. Washington DC: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.